Körber set to roll out the largest deployment of autonomous mobile robots in Australia and New Zealand for leading online retailer Catch Group

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Catch Group, part of the Wesfarmers Group and one of Australia's largest online retailers, has partnered with Körber to deploy autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at its distribution centre in Truganina, Victoria.

Körber set to roll out the largest deployment of autonomous mobile robots in Australia and New Zealand for leading online retailer Catch Group.

The project will see the leading online retailer roll out more than 100 autonomous mobile robots and is the largest AMR deployment of its kind for an e-commerce marketplace in Australia and New Zealand.

Acquired by Wesfarmers last year, Catch Group has recently added thousands of additional stock keeping units (SKUs) to its already extensive range of brands and products.

"Catch has experienced phenomenal success since its inception as an early innovator in the e-commerce market in Australia. With COVID-19 driving more consumers online, Catch is very well placed to meet this rise in demand and this investment ensures that we continue to increase and improve our product and service offering for our rapidly growing consumer base," Richard Whetton, Head of Fulfilment at Catch Group said.

To meet the increase in Catch's product range, the online retailer has invested in the deployment of Körber's AMR solution, powered by global technology provider Geek+. The implementation consists of over 100 AMRs operating across 3785 sqm of allocated space within the 30,000 sqm facility. The robots will give Catch the capability to manage an additional 80,000 SKUs over and above its existing range.

"The AMRs will provide Catch with the ability to pick an additional 2,000 orders an hour. With its growing consumer base and the increased demand for timely and efficient delivery across Australia, this solution will play a crucial role in Catch being able to deliver the excellent customer experience the retailer is known for," Rizan Mawzoon, Head of Transformation at Körber Supply Chain Software said.

Set to go-live in November, the deployment of the AMR solution will take approximately three months and will help Catch Group accelerate its online fulfilment capabilities, moving a step closer to its overall aim of offering same-day delivery.

"We are always looking at ways we can get the order faster to the customer, this investment will allow us to hold more products ready for immediate picking, meaning we can ship most orders out the same day the order comes in," Saar Davidi, Fulfilment Centre and Project Manager at Catch Group said.

"We went through a rigorous process to find a solutions provider that could help us continue to deliver our fast fulfilment rates with this significant increase in SKUs. Körber has a wealth of experience in delivering this kind of automation, and we really loved their honest and practical approach," David Matheson, General Manager - Fulfilment Operations at Catch Group and former Chief Operations Officer at Kmart said.

With COVID-19 driving e-commerce numbers to an all-time high in Australia, Catch Group reported a 68.7 per cent increase in total sales for the second half of FY20. Even before COVID-19 supercharged online retail, Catch was heading on a steep growth trajectory and reported a 21.4 per cent increase in sales growth in the first half of FY20.

"This investment is a significant step for Catch Group in its move to offer faster and more convenient fulfilment options for its increasing customer base. By adding thousands of SKUs to Catch's already extensive online store, we are providing Australian's with easy and convenient access to their much-loved high street brands. We are excited to see where this technology deployment takes us and to seek out further opportunities where we can utilise this kind of agile and flexible technology," Richard Whetton, Head of Fulfilment at Catch Group.

Körber Supply Chain (formerly Cohesio Group) has previously partnered with iconic Aussie-retailer Kmart, also part of the Wesfarmers Group, in the deployment of its Android Voice picking solutions.

"Kmart was one of our very first customers and we are thrilled to be working with another retailer in the Wesfarmers Group. Catch Group is an absolute pioneer in the e-commerce landscape in Australia and I'm excited to work with them to improve fulfilment rates and help them deliver in this competitive marketplace," Nishan Wijemanne, Managing Director of Körber Supply Chain Asia Pacific and global leader for AMR Solutions at Körber said.

Cohesio Group along with Aberle, Aberle Software, Cirrus Logistics, Consoveyo, DMLogic, HighJump, inconso, Otimis, Langhammer, Riantics and Voiteq rebranded to Körber as part of a global rebrand on 1 September 2020. The Körber Business Area Supply Chain is part of the international technology group Körber.

About Catch.com.au

Back in 2006, Catch was launched by two brothers who had a vision to change the way people shopped online. Fast forward to today and Catch.com.au is part of the Wesfarmers Group, placing us in good company alongside Australia's top retailers, Kmart, Target, Bunnings & Officeworks. We've come a long way and we get bigger and better every day!

Our team of buyers and marketplace sellers search the world for the best products from the biggest brands, to bring our customers anything they want and everything they need. From fashion to beauty, homewares, sports, tech, groceries, health and lifestyle, Catch has millions of products at incredibly low prices. For more information, please visit: https://www.catch.com.au/

About the Körber Business Area Supply Chain

Supply chains are growing more complex by the day. Körber uniquely provides a broad range of proven, end-to-end supply chain solutions fitting any business size, strategy or appetite for growth. Capable of delivering not just software, but automation, voice, robotics, and materials handling - plus the expertise to tie it all together. We are a global partner not just for today, but also as the needs of supply chains continue to evolve. Conquer supply chain complexity - with Körber. The Business Area Supply Chain is part of the global technology group Körber. Find out more on www.koerber-supplychain.com  

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200925/2928546-1?lang=0